


Valentines

by flightinflame



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 15:52:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/676175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pepper and Natasha have settled into an relationship.  But the approaching specter of Valentine's day, and their conflicting emotions when it comes to relationships, threatens to cause problems - especially when Natasha gets called away on a mission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentines

One thing that people often missed about Natasha and Pepper, two women holding their own in worlds so very dominated by men, was that they loved their jobs. People knew that they were good at what they did, that they found it easy, that they made it work for them, but few people ever considered that they might be good at it because it was what they actually wanted to do.

Pepper might have started off in the world of business as little more than a glorified personal assistant, but she had been personal assistant to Tony Stark, and that wasn't exactly a job that came easily if you didn't want to do it. Similarly, Natasha's job wasn't one you could do if you didn't have your mind in it, even if her heart was a little closed off.

So they did what they were good at, and they enjoyed doing it. Pepper especially mastered the art of being the modern woman, of combining femininity with the ability to do whatever she wanted in the board room. She was strong, she was independent, she could keep Tony Stark in line. Every day, just like Natasha did, she walked into situations that would make most grown men tremble, and she walked out victorious. Since the foundation of the Avengers Initiative, she even managed to juggle international disasters with phone calls from her girlfriend.

In most elements of her life, Pepper had put the past behind her, but there were some elements that remained, especially when it came to relationships. She had quite set ideas of what relationships should be like, and she wanted to try to live up to those ideals.

This had been problematic when she had first started to date Natasha. Because Natasha had an entirely different set of ideas. Natasha was comfortable with sex, beyond comfortable with it. What she didn't like to do was to have a relationship. The thought of holding hands and going on moonlit strolls was something that Natasha initially was not interested in.

Pepper had accepted that, trying to find ways she could make her feel comfortable, and they'd settled on a balance by the middle of October. It was a balance that was working well for both of them, until they'd had over three months together, and the shops began to fill with pink balloons, bouquets of roses and fluffy teddy bears. Every window had made Pepper smile slightly, and Natasha's eyes sparkle with disgust.

Pepper tried to resign herself to the idea that she wasn't going to get a Valentine’s day with Natasha. It didn't matter, not really. Hopefully she'd still see her, even if it wasn't an official date. That would be good. If Natasha didn't want to celebrate Valentines, that was absolutely fine by her. One look at the beautiful redhead relaxing on the sofa reminded her how very lucky she was, and how stupid it would be to ruin this over a date.

To take her mind off of that, she was careful to organise three crucial meetings for the fourteenth. That would definitely keep her occupied. On the twelfth, she was woken by Natasha cuddling up against her side. She had smiled, moving towards the contact, only to frown a moment later when she realised Natasha was holding her phone with one hand, staring at it with dark concentration on her face, her eyebrows just slightly creased.

Pepper could recognise by now when Natasha was being called away on a job. She squeezed Natasha's hand, then moved to rub her shoulders.  
"Any idea how long it'll take?"  
"A few weeks..." Natasha answered. "Probably not more than two months, might even be done by early March. I'll miss you."  
"Miss you too." Pepper echoed, and released her, letting her leave the bed. This wasn't the first time she'd had this happen, and it wouldn't be the last. At least, she hoped it wouldn't be, because the only reason she could imagine for Natasha stopping taking missions would be that she was dead.

Natasha's bag for missions was already packed, and there was a final gentle kiss before she walked away, heading to HQ. Pepper closed her eyes, then pulled out her own phone.  
"Missing you already. x"  
"I'll be back before you know it." The reply was quick, confident, and helped put her at ease. 

Pepper convinced herself she didn't care about Valentines, that it was just another date in the calendar, one with little meaning to either of them. 

That managed to convince her until the day itself, when everywhere she glanced around she noticed people in happy relationships. The fact she was alone, that she did not know when she would next see Natasha, stung more than normal. She tried to go over to the Tower, because Tony had invited her, but after a few hours she had had to go home. It wasn't right, seeing so many happy couples and not having Natasha there. She excused herself and left. Tony watched her leaving, but didn't say anything.

She headed back to an empty room, and an empty bed, lying with her eyes closed and wishing that Natasha was there. It was only as she thought that that the phone rang. She answered when she noticed it was a withheld number, hoping it might be Natasha's voice that answered. Natasha didn't normally call on missions, but maybe for Valentines she would make an exception.  
"Hey..." The voice on the other line was calm, amused almost, and she could picture Natasha's smile as she spoke.  
"You... you're working Nat... you never call when you're working..." Pepper murmured, surprised. She'd not been expecting to hear from Natasha tonight, of all nights.

"I finished the job." There was a smugness to Natasha's voice that Pepper recognised only too well. She could picture how she was smiling as she spoke. It was a familiar expression, Natasha was often smug.

"You'll be home soon?"  
"A few days." Natasha answered. "Still have to do clean up. But I thought I should call tonight. Thought you might want to hear me."

Pepper swallowed at that. Natasha knew what the date was, and had chosen to call her, had wanted to speak to her.  
"Yeh... I miss you."  
"I know..." Natasha sighed softly. "I don't like Valentine’s day. And I'm missing it anyway. But when I'm back, I can take you out for a meal okay, and we'll spend the day as just us."

"Yeh..." Pepper smiled softly, cherishing that idea. "I look forwards to it."  
"Me too. I'll see you soon." She ended the call before Pepper had a chance to tell her she loved her, but Pepper was used to that. It didn't matter. What mattered was that Tasha knew.


End file.
